Summer Reading 2013 How to Make Friends and Monsters

I read How to Make Friends and Monsters by Ron Bates yesterday. The characters and situations were so entertaining that at some points I was talking out loud to the book. (Yes, just the way some people talk to the theater screen or TV screen.)

Would you like to go through life with the name Howard Boward? Can you imagine the grief you would get from other kids at school? They call him "How-lame" or "How-weird" and even less complimentary things. He is great at school work and he's a science genius - but he has no friends. When his mom gives him a book called How to Make Friends, Howard decides to take it literally and creates a friend for himself out in his lab. You can imagine all the problems that might cause, but Howard does learn about how to make and keep friends.

If you have ever felt invisible because you're not one of the "popular kids," or ever thought that nobody understands you and appreciates you - then you will understand Howard. This book reminded me a lot of the Origami Yoda series and the way Dwight tries to fit in at school.

I would recommend this to readers who enjoy Origami Yoda, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and other humorous school stories about kids trying to fit in and make friends. It was released last year as a hardback, but is coming out July 22, 2013 in paperback format.

Go to the publisher's website for more information. There is also a FaceBook page for the book.  The publisher has provided a video trailer for the book.